The FEI Bureau, composed of about 20 bigwigs, decides the fate of thousands of ordinary athletes.

Any issue has two points of view, two opinions, two sides.

There is one opinion to remove the WEC from UAE, and this opinion was supported by 6 thousand people, signing first online petition.

But also there is opposite opinion: the WEC was legally appointed in Dubai two years ago, and the riders from all the world knew exact date and place for WEC, and all the riders were preparing their training and financial plans for exact date and place. So, the WEC should be held in Dubai, and this opinion was supported by over 10,000 votes in opposite petition.

But, second opinion to reinstate the WEC in Dubai was ignored by the FEI.

The voices of ten thousand people were left unheeded.

So, we have the right to ask a question: is Endurance Sport for athletes or for FEI?

There are 10,256 votes of people who believe that Endurance Sport is for athletes, not for bigwigs from the FEI.

Do you hear them? No? Then please hear just one voice, the voice of one individual.

We received a message from Helena, the Endurance Rider from Europe:

“So, FEI announced where the WEC will be… And very short time to fulfill qualifications… Do you think there is a chance to turn them, to push the date for Qualifications to 1. August? To write them and ask them to do so, or not? We are not all professional riders and I think endurance should not be just for professionals. Many of us have one horse, compete with one horse and now without options….to participate at WEC…”

Helena have to complete one more CEI ride to get a qualification for WEC. She owns only one horse which she rode all her competitions. Helena has a dream to represent her country at WEC.

And now her dream destroyed by the decision of the FEI Bureau, which was published on June 15 and established the deadline on July 18. Only one month left to get all needed qualifications for WEC. It is absolutely unfair.

Now all riders like Helena have only one attempt to complete a qualification ride until July 18. No one horse can compete twice during one month.

Helena tried to do all her best to satisfy the requirements. But she fails.

“So, I don’t know what to say…I wanted to go to WEC, so I tried with one more race, with off course my only horse… And I made a biggest mistake in my life. He was lame… Like 1/3 of all horses this weekend in Samorin (Slovakia)… I tried test ride for WEC and on trail made a mistake…Push my horse too much, or I don’t know what… It is all over for me… For me, for Croatia team and many others, that wanted to catch that date!!!! It’s not fair, but that is a sport. I heard that also Italian national federation write to FEI to move the date, but nothing. I understand, WEC is not for normal people, it is just for professional riders… And what I see in Samorin, what are this “big” teams, with lot of money doing…. I don’t want to be part of that!”

Will the voice of Helena and many other ordinary riders be heard by the FEI?

Will the FEI at least extend the qualifying period to allow the riders have a second chance to get a qualification for WEC?